JOHN Wick is gearing up for a third installment in the franchise now that a shooting script is ready and the film has entered pre-production.

5th December 2017
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By Matthew Whitehouse

SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT

The original movie follows a retired hitman – played by Keanu Reeves – as he hunts down the murderers of his pet puppy.

Funny, dark and weird, John Wick was a surprise hit with action fans, who luxuriated in its R-rated ultra violence.

John Wick: Chapter 2 picked up shortly after the first and carried on the revenge and violence in stunning style, due in part to Keanu Reeves' incredible commitment to the stunt work involved in the film.

Footage of Reeves training went viral and had fans losing it as they realised he was not to be messed with on screen or in real life.

The original film released in 2014 grossed $88 million (£65m) worldwide, while it's sequel racked up $171 million (£127m), meaning a third film was an inevitability.

Derek Kolstad wrote chapters one and two – with the title character named after his grandfather – and continues to bring his trademark action to the third outing.

John Wick directors David Leitch and Chad Stahinski have had a busy couple of years, each tackling huge projects.

David Leitch is currently finishing work on Deadpool 2 with Ryan Reynolds, having also completed the 80s neon-infused Charlize Theron action movie Atomic Blonde.

Stahinski is now working on a reboot of action-adventure fantasy classic Highlander.

While only Chad Stahinski is listed as directing on IMDB it is hoped that both directors will be able to resume work on the third in the series.